Insider info Restricted free agency and a shortage of teams in need of a starting center should protect Denver in the short term, but the cost to obtain Plumlee from Portland (Jusuf Nurkic and a first-round pick) should give his representative, Mark Bartelstein, an advantage.

While Plumlee’s options are limited, don’t discount his on-court value.

Either starting or coming off the bench, Plumlee has proven that he is not a system player and can adapt to any type of system.

Insider info The Spurs’ signing of Dedmon last summer was one of the league’s best under-the-radar signings.

He has been a reliable bench player who can also start (29 games) and is an effective rebounder, averaging 13.4 per 36 minutes in 76 games. He’s also one of the best help defenders among the free-agent centers.